Advertising-pillar

ABSTRACT

Advertising-pillar with a transparant substantially cylindrical wall illuminated from the interior and being divided into panels by vertical and, if any, horizontal strips provided with grooves for receiving windows and removable, advertising posters situated between two foils, the interior of the pillar being accessible through at least one of said windows.

United States Patent 1 1 Thomson et al.

[ 51 Jan. 30, 1973 [54] ADVERTISING-PILLAR [76] Inventors: Willy Thomson, Steilshooper Strasse 106, Hamburg 33; Werner Carstens, Blockhorn 10, Hamburg 68, both of Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 24, 1970 [21] Appl. N0.: 101,378

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Richard Carter Jan. 2, 1970 Germany ..P 70 00 018.9 Attorney-Flynn & Frishauf [52] US. Cl. ..40/132 D, 40/145 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..G09l 13/04 Advertising-pillar with a transparant substantially {58] Field of Search 132 2 cylindrical wall illuminated from the interior and being divided into panels by vertical and, if any, horizontal strips provided with grooves for receiving [56] Reerences cued windows and removable, advertising posters situated UNn-ED STATES PATENTS between two foils, the interior of the pillar being accessible through at least one of said windows. 3,105,315 10/1963 Snethen ..40/130 X 703,102 6/1902 Washington et a1. ..40/145 X 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 30 I973 FIG.5

FIG.1

ADVERTISING-PILLAR The invention relates to a display pillar, particularly for advertising purposes, having a light source in its center and a transparent, substantially cylindrical wall of polygonal or circular cross-section, the inner face of which is provided with advertisements, proclamations, town-plans and other publications.

It is known in such illuminated display pillars to deposit the advertising material or to glue the posters directly onto the transparent cylinder wall. This has the disadvantage that the exchange of the publications is accompanied with great difficulties. Removal of glued posters from the cylinder wall can only be achieved after substantial and tine-consuming efforts. In addition the paste layer, which, as a rule, is irregularly distributed over the wall and the glued poster, is also detrimental to the light transmitted and, therefore, to the image of the poster to be displayed.

The present invention has for its object to provide an illuminated display pillar, particularly for advertising purposes which is adapted to be provided with posters, advertisements, proclamations, town-plans and other publications. Briefly, the pillar has a light-source in its center and a transparent, substantially cylindrical casing of polygonal or circular cross-section, the inner face of which carries the information, e.g. posters. The transparent casing is divided by vertical connecting strips, connecting the foot and head portions of the pillar and, if desired, by horizontal circumferential strips to form windows forming part of the casing, said windows being provided along the upper and under edges with grooves facing with their opening towards the center of the windows, in which grooves two transparent resilient foils are inserted from a vertical window edge for receiving therebetween a poster and of which the height is a little less than the distance from the bottom of the upper groove to that of the lower groove.

The advantage of the invention consists in that the poster can easily be exchanged. This simply calls for withdrawing the two transparent foils and the interposed poster which foils are only retained in the grooves by means of their upper and lower edge. Then the poster can be replaced by a fresh one and after the new poster has been placed between both foils, the whole assembly is slid back into the grooves of the window. If the grooves form part of a circle, then the foils and the poster are retained in the grooves in a bent shape so that the poster is clamped between the two foils and can not slide or collapse.

Preferably the two transparent foils are connected to each other along the edge acting as the leading edge when inserting the foils in the guiding grooves of the window. In this way the accommodation of the poster between the foils and the introduction of the foils into the grooves is facilitated.

Advantageously both foils are formed by bending a larger piece of foil sheet over 180.

Since, for exchanging the posters, it is necessary to have access to the interior of the pillar, it is of advantage to make each second window of the casing retractable. After the withdrawal of the window, both the poster behind the window pane just removed and those behind each of the adjacent window panes, can be exchanged, since the foils with posters behind the adjacent windows can be withdrawn towards the opening in the window of which the pane has been removed and can be re-installed into the grooves from the same opening.

The invention will be further explained here below with reference to some embodiments represented in the figures of the attached drawings. In these figures:

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of the pillar according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the pillar, partly in crosssection.

FIG. 3 shows a vertical cross-section of the pillar in the area of a retractable window.

FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross-section of the pillar in the area of a fixed built-in window.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the transparent foils and of the poster partly inserted therebetween.

The illuminated pillar consits of a pedestal portion 1, which is planted in the earth by means of a central column 2, of a heat portion 3, between which a cylindrical casing 4 is interposed, made of transparent material and being divided by means of vertical strips into four windows of which one pair of diametrically opposite windows is retractable.

Coinciding with the central axis of the cylindrical casing is arranged a rod 5 connecting the pedestal portion 1 and the head portion 3 carrying a number of light tubes 6 running parallel to said central axis.

Each of both fixedly built-in windows 7 and 8 consists, as shown in FIG. 4 of an arcuate transparent pane 9 being engaged from above and from below by H- shaped profiled strips 10 and sideway by U-shaped profiled strips 11. The profiled strips 10 and 11 constitute a fixed frame. Downward extending legs of the lower profiled strips 10 engage the upper edge of the pedestal portion 1 whereas the upward extending legs of the upper profiled strips 10 embrace the under edge of a ring 12 made of transparent material associated with the head portion 3. Inside the upper and lower profiled strips 10 are similarly bent profiled strips 13, of which the grooves are facing towards the window center and which are adapted for retaining and guiding in the grooves the upper and lower edges of transparent foils l4 and 15 between which the poster 16 is inserted. The profiled strips 13 are preferably also H-shaped which shape allows an easier bending of the foils and the poster without twisting them.

The upper H-shaped profiled strips 10 of the fixedly mounted windows 7 and 8 are preferably parts of a closed ring to which the profiled strips 11 embracing sideways the panes 9 of the fixedly built-in windows 7, 8 are fixedly connected.

In the area of the retractable windows 17 and 18 the downwards extending legs of the H-profile of the profiled strips 10, are cut away, as shown in FIG. 3. The arcuated pane of the windows 17 and I8 is engaged upwards and sideways by a U-profile 20. The engagement of the bottom edge is achieved by means of a I-I-shaped profiled strip 21, the downward extending, radially inward displaced leg of the I-I-profile being cut off. Moreover the U-profiled strips 20 embracing the pane 19 from above and from the sides, are reinforced by a T-profiled strip 22 constituting, as shown in FIG. 3, with the pane in mounted position, an edge which embraces the adjacent profiled strips.

To the inside of the upper profiled strip 20 and the lower profiled strip 21 of the retractable window are again secured I-I-profiled strips 23 and 24 for retaining the transparent foils 14, 15 and the poster 16. The downward extending legs of the H of the lower H- profiled strip 24 are cut off to enable the insertion of the window-pane.

The insertion of the window is carried out such, that first the upper edge of the window having an upward facing groove formed between the upward extending leg of the T-profile 22 and the upward extending leg of the profiled strip 23, is placed against the upper edge of the window opening in such a manner that this opening edge constituted by the profiled strip snaps in said groove. Next the lower part of the window is pressed into the window opening and the position of the window is locked in place by screws 25.

The poster 16 to be disposed inside of the windowpane is clamped between the transparent foils l4 and when the foils with the poster placed therebetween is slid in the arcuated upper and lower profiled strips 13 (see FIG. 4) or 23, 24 (see FIG. 3). As is shown in FIG. 5 both transparent foils 14, 15 are preferably made from one piece being folded over 180. When the folding edge is at the same time the leading edge the transparent foils with the poster arranged therebetween can be slid into grooves of the profiled strips 10 and 23, 24 respectively in a very easy manner.

We claim:

1. Illuminated display pillar adapted to hold an information carrier, particularly for advertising purposes, comprising a central light source;

a transparent, substantially cylindrical casing surrounding the central light source and subdivided into windows extending around the circumference of the casing; top and bottom circularly extending in planes substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the cylindrical casing; transverse connecting strips extending between the top and bottom strips, the transverse connecting strips subdividing the casing into window areas, and at least two opposite strips being formed with groove means; a protective pane inserted in the groove means, one of said strips adjacent at least one of the panes being separable from the casing to permit removal of the pane; a second set of circularly shaped strips having groove means formed therein located circumferentially inside of said top and bottom strips; and a pair of flexible, transparent resilient foils inserted in the groove means of said second set of strips and extending between the top and the bottom strips, said flexible foil being adapted to retain an information carrier therebetween. 2. Pillar according to claim 1, wherein the casing has a circular cross section and the groove means of the second set of strips into which the foils are slidable form part of a circle to locate the foils in the grooves while the foils are flexed.

3. Pillar according to claim 1, wherein the two transparent foils are connected to each other along an edge, said edge forming the leading edge for inserting the foils into the groove means of the second set of str i s.

4. Pillar according to claim 3, wherein both for s are formed by bending a larger piece of foil sheet over 5. Pillar according to claim 1, wherein each other pane, with respect to the circumference of the pillar, of the transparent casing is retractable. 

1. Illuminated display pillar adapted to hold an information carrier, particularly for advertising purposes, comprising a central light source; a transparent, substantially cylindrical casing surrounding the central light source and subdivided into windows extending around the circumference of the casing; top and bottom circularly extending in planes substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the cylindrical casing; transverse connecting strips extending between the top and bottom strips, the transverse connecting strips subdividing the casing into window areas, and at least two opposite strips being formed with groove means; a protective pane inserted in the groove means, one of said strips adjacent at least one of the panes being separable from the casing to permit removal of the pane; a second set of circularly shaped strips having groove means formed therein located circumferentially inside of said top and bottom strips; and a pair of flexible, transparent resilient foils inserted in the groove means of said second set of strips and extending between the top and the bottom strips, said flexible foil being adapted to retain an information carrier therebetween.
 1. Illuminated display pillar adapted to hold an information carrier, particularly for advertising purposes, comprising a central light source; a transparent, substantially cylindrical casing surrounding the central light source and subdivided into windows extending around the circumference of the casing; top and bottom circularly extending in planes substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the cylindrical casing; transverse connecting strips extending between the top and bottom strips, the transverse connecting strips subdividing the casing into window areas, and at least two opposite strips being formed with groove means; a protective pane inserted in the groove means, one of said strips adjacent at least one of the panes being separable from the casing to permit removal of the pane; a second set of circularly shaped strips having groove means formed therein located circumferentially inside of said top and bottom strips; and a pair of flexible, transparent resilient foils inserted in the groove means of said second set of strips and extending between the top and the bottom strips, said flexible foil being adapted to retain an information carrier therebetween.
 2. Pillar according to claim 1, wherein the casing has a circular cross section and the groove means of the second set of strips into which the foils are slidable form part of a circle to locate the foils in the grooves while the foils are flexed.
 3. Pillar according to claim 1, wherein the two transparent foils are connected to each other along an edge, said edge forming the leading edge for inserting the foils into the groove means of the second set of strips.
 4. Pillar according to claim 3, wherein both foils are formed by bending a larger piece of foil sheet over 180* . 